Saturdays outing was her fourth start this cam | Forum

When the Los Angeles Rams fired Jeff Fisher on Monday afternoon, it lit the
pilot light under the hot stove of coaching changes around the NFL. Cheap Air Max
UK . Fisher was the first and to this point the only head coach to
be relieved of his duties this season, a list that will surely grow once the
season ends. Theres no fun in speculating on future firings, but the coaching
cycle is an inescapable reality of football.Lets think about this in a different
way. Instead of speculating on the coaches who are likely to be unemployed soon,
lets focus on the jobs and the opportunities that might be available shortly.Im
not suggesting that these coaches are going to be leaving or deserve to lose
their jobs, but I am analyzing all of the potential head-coaching openings that
have been the subject of public scrutiny at different points during this season.
Lets sort through them from least enticing to most promising, independent of
their chances of becoming available. And that begins with an organization that
should be very familiar with the hiring process by now ...10. San Francisco
49ersRegardless of whether the 49ers keep Chip Kelly, this roster is
unrecognizable from the one that likely would have won a vote as the leagues
best in 2013. Even the players who are left -- guys such as linebackers NaVorro
Bowman and Michael Wilhoite and quarterback Colin Kaepernick -- havent looked
like themselves, as theyve battled injuries and age. This is a mess of an
organization, from top to bottom.Its far more likely that the 49ers would fire
general manager Trent Baalke before making any decision on Kelly, but in either
scenario, the roster is years away from being competitive. Kaepernick has been
an upgrade over?Blaine Gabbert, but hes still struggling to correct his issues
with pocket presence and accuracy and is likely to leave during the offseason.
The 49ers are likely to finish the year with a top-three pick, but it has come
during a year when there doesnt appear to be a quarterback worth taking.?Todd
McShays first mock draft doesnt include any quarterbacks before the 30th
selection.And the 49ers arent going to be stocked with draft capital in 2017,
either. Theyll have an extra fourth-round pick because of Alex Boones departure
and a couple of late-round selections, but theyll have nothing else to help
restock the roster.New management would have a scarcely fathomable amount of cap
space to work with -- the Niners could easily roll into March with more than
$100 million of room -- but who wants to play there? It would take a remarkable
long-term effort to reshape the organizational culture in San Francisco, and
whichever coach intends to do so would be joining an organization hiring its
fourth head coach in four years. Does that sound appealing?9. Los Angeles RamsIt
has been suggested that?the Rams vacancy is viewed as a desirable gig by those
in the league.?Maybe its just me, but this gig doesnt seem very exciting at all.
Lets run through the checklist of things you might want if you were going to
take over a rebuilding football team.A franchise quarterback? The Rams drafted
Jared Goff with the first overall pick in April, but Goff wasnt good enough to
get on the field for most of his rookie season and has posted a brutal 24.5 QBR
since getting there. Its too early to give up on Goff, but the initial returns
are about as ugly as it gets for a No. 1 pick. Whoever takes over this job is
going to inherit Goff as the quarterback of the future with three years and
$22.8 million in guaranteed cap hits remaining.Draft picks? Goff was the only
player taken by the Rams in the first three rounds of the 2016 draft, and the
Rams are down first- and third-round selections in the 2017 draft after trading
them to Tennessee as part of the deal to move up and grab him. (The Titans used
two of the picks they acquired from the Rams to trade up and draft right tackle
Jack Conklin, who has played at a Pro Bowl level as a rookie.) The Rams likely
will gain third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks as part of the compensatory
process, but theyve given away what are likely to become the fifth and 97th
picks of the draft. Those are worth a combined 29.8 points of value on the Chase
Stuart draft value chart. Los Angeles other picks will be worth somewhere around
32.7 points of draft capital, meaning that nearly half of their draft capital in
2017 will head to Tennessee.Cap space? For now. The Rams have $47 million in
space available for 2017, but thats without deals for top cornerback Trumaine
Johnson -- who is playing out 2016 on a franchise tag -- underrated safety T.J.
McDonald or starting wideout Kenny Britt, all of whom would be unrestricted free
agents. Linebacker Alec Ogletree will be entering the fifth and final year of
his rookie deal. Also, 2017 is the fourth year of defensive tackle Aaron Donalds
rookie deal, which surely will include a fifth-year option for 2018. The Rams
will owe Donald a mammoth extension in the near future, one that might make him
the highest-paid defender in football.Furthermore, several Rams starters have
regrettable contracts. Wide receiver Tavon Austins four-year, $42 million deal
looks like the classic case of an organization paying a player for who they
wanted him to be instead of who he is, although the Rams can get out of his deal
after 2017. The same is true for linebacker Mark Barron. Former second overall
pick Greg Robinson, a healthy scratch at offensive tackle earlier this season,
is locked up for one more year at $6.7 million in guarantees.There are precious
few players on the team who are locked up for multiple seasons at below-market
salaries given their established level of play. Todd Gurley, who was supposed to
be the focal point of the Rams offense, is averaging 3.3 yards per carry with
zero runs of 25 yards or more in 227 attempts. Thats the seventh-worst rushing
average since 2000 for a player with 200 carries or more.The best arguments for
the Rams job, as far as I can tell, are that owner Stan Kroenke showed a
remarkable amount of patience with Fisher, likely will be willing to spend
money, and has moved his team to a desirable market in Los Angeles. Does the
latter really mean all that much? Teams around the NFL generally have no trouble
retaining the players they want to keep. And if a team is planning on leveraging
its high-profile location to spend in free agency, its already playing a suckers
game when it comes to the NFL. The Dolphins have tried that tactic; how has it
worked out for them?The Rams arent hopeless. If the new head coach can turn Goff
into a competent starter, hell have an extremely valuable asset to go along with
Donald, who is one of the most underpaid players in football. They have enjoyed
excellent special teams under interim head coach John Fassel, with punter Johnny
Hekker worth twice as much in field position as anybody else this season. Its
also likely that Los Angeles new coach will need to spend 2017 evaluating the
mistakes of the old regime before beginning to steer the ship out of the skid in
2018. That alone makes the Rams job relatively unappealing.8. New York JetsYears
of bad drafts have left the Jets relying heavily on veteran free agents and
trade acquisitions, and while that strategy worked during a surprisingly
impressive 2015, Gang Green has fallen on its face this season. Unless Todd
Bowles impresses over the final few weeks of the season, it seems like hell be
done after two years in New York, one of which was a 10-6 campaign with Ryan
Fitzpatrick at quarterback. Given the quick hooks for Bowles and, before his
time, general manager John Idzik, this wouldnt be an appealing job.After Idzik
cleaned up the Jets cap during his time at the helm, general manager Mike
Maccagnan went on a spending spree during the 2015 and 2016 offseasons. Many of
those moves look like mistakes, and the Jets already have $165.1 million
committed to the cap next season before even thinking about what they might do
at quarterback, where theyll owe Fitzpatrick $5 million regardless of whether he
stays on the roster.The Jets can clear out cap space by releasing veterans, but
there arent any replacements behind those vets on the roster. Releasing Darrelle
Revis, Ryan Clady, Nick Mangold, Breno Giacomini?and David Harris would create
more than $39 million in cap room, but the Jets would need to rebuild most of
their offensive line and find a starting-caliber cornerback in a market where
even decent corners are approaching $10 million per season.Since drafting
Mangold and DBrickashaw Ferguson in the first round of the 2006 draft, the Jets
have used just one pick in the first two rounds on an offensive lineman, taking
departed guard Vladimir Ducasse in the second round of the 2010 draft. Their
line is a mess and likely requires a level of rebuild comparable to what the
Raiders or Lions have done, but thats going to take time, and its not clear the
new guy can count on much of that once he joins the Jets organization.7. Chicago
BearsIf the Bears fire John Fox, hell leave an underrated defense behind. The
Bears are 18th in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) on that side of the
ball this year and 14th in weighted DVOA, suggesting that theyve gotten better
as the year has gone on. The offense has been shredded by injuries; during
Sundays narrow loss to the Lions, it was missing eight players who would have
been expected to start this season. This wasnt expected to be a great unit even
with everyone healthy, but a lot of offenses would look worse if you took eight
training-camp starters out of the lineup.The good news for the Bears new head
coach: Theres cap space! Oh, is there cap space! The Bears will roll over
several million dollars from this year, and once they release quarterback Jay
Cutler and free up an additional $14 million, Chicago could have $80 million to
spend this offseason. Its one pending free agent of note is star wideout Alshon
Jeffery, who has had a frustrating season amid a four-game suspension for
performance-enhancing drugs. The Bears might be able to leverage that campaign
into a cheaper long-term contract, but they also can just choose to franchise
Jeffery again, given their cap room and lack of other candidates for the
position.Its hard to figure out how much more the Bears have to work with
because their offensive and defensive infrastructure was destroyed by those
injuries. Matt Barkley?has been surprisingly effective as a passer through three
starts, posting a 44.9 QBR amid a 10.6 percent drop rate from a group of backup
receivers, but he also has gone up against pass defenses ranked 25th
(Tennessee), 29th (San Francisco) and 30th (Detroit) in DVOA. The first time
hell start against an above-average pass defense is Week 17, when Barkley takes
on the Vikings. Barkley has earned a spot on next years roster, but it would be
naive to suggest he has done much more at this point.In addition to needing a
new quarterback, years of poor drafting have left the Bears with precious little
depth. There are a total of four players left on the roster from the 2010-13
drafts, only one of whom (Jeffery) is a starter. Their top three picks from the
2014 draft are all on injured reserve, and two of their top three picks from
2015 have joined them, with lone holdover nose tackle Eddie Goldman having
missed seven games already this season. There may be a useful core here, but its
almost impossible to evaluate until they actually all make it back onto the
field.6. Buffalo BillsThe Bills perennially have been on the verge of a playoff
berth without ever breaking through. Losing to the Steelers at home on Sunday
likely sunk their playoff hopes -- FPI gives them just a 2.1 percent chance of
making the postseason -- but their run-in includes games against the Dolphins,
Browns and Jets, making it likely that Buffalo performs just well enough for Rex
Ryan to keep his job.The toughest decision the Bills face at the moment, quite
clearly, is what to do with quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Buffalo signed Taylor to a
five-year, $90 million extension in August that was really a down payment of
$9.5 million and the option to execute a five-year, $82.5 million deal with no
immediate skill guarantees starting in 2017. The Bills have to make their
decision on that deal before March 11; if it continues with Taylor as its
quarterback, Buffalo will owe him $27.5 million in guarantees. If not, hell
become an unrestricted free agent. The Bills are clearly getting cold feet about
the idea and are concerned Taylor might suffer an injury that would prevent him
from passing a physical. If he cant pass a physical, Taylor would be guaranteed
the $27.5 million as a result of the injury. Thats why the Bills have been so
publicly hesitant about starting Taylor over the final three weeks of the
season.The question of whether to retain Taylor would be its own story, but the
Bills have other issues regardless of what they decide to do with their
quarterback. The $13.1 million they would save by moving on from Taylor before
next season could be applied to a passer if the Bills want to go after somebody
like Jay Cutler in free agency, or Buffalo could draft yet another quarterback
of the future and put their savings toward retaining cornerback Stephon Gilmore,
who is set to become an unrestricted free agent.Buffalo has $32 million in cap
space heading into the offseason before the Taylor decision, but theres plenty
of work to do. In addition to Gilmore, the Bills likely will want to retain
useful young contributors such as?Jordan Mills and Zach Brown, both of whom have
impressed since arriving in Buffalo ahead of unrestricted free agency. Nose
tackle Corbin Bryant and wideout Robert Woods havent been as impactful, but they
would have to be replaced with talent that isnt yet on the roster.Lorenzo
Alexander, who has put together a career year with a career-high 10 sacks, also
will hit unrestricted free agency, getting meaningful offers for the first (and
likely) last time in his career. The Bills wont want to pay for his outlier of a
season, but when he has twice as many sacks as anybody else on the team, can
they afford to let him go? The Bills are a team quietly in transition, but the
most important decision a new Buffalo coach might ever make during his tenure
with the team would be the first one -- on Taylor.5. Jacksonville
JaguarsAlthough it might seem like the Jaguars are on a perennial cruise to
4-12, theres a lot to like about the opportunity thats likely to become
available in Jacksonville. While the decision to build the franchise around
Blake Bortles seems to have gone awry for coach Gus Bradley and general manager
Dave Caldwell, the infrastructure around the frustrating quarterback isnt all
that bad. Theres a good amount of young talent waiting for the right coach (and
quarterback) in Florida.The most promising element is Jacksonvilles defense,
which finally took a leap forward in 2016. The Jags are 15th in DVOA, a huge
upgrade after landing with an average finish of 26th over the previous four
seasons. And while Jacksonville has built that defense in part with big-ticket
free agents, theres a core of young talent worth getting excited about. Jalen
Ramsey?has been great as a rookie at a position (cornerback) where even eventual
superstars often struggle during their debuts. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has
been the most productive third-round pick in the league during his rookie year.
Telvin Smith is quietly one of the best 4-3 outside linebackers in football.
Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. has gone missing after a hot start, but if the
Jags get something out of him and linebacker Myles Jack, this could be the sort
of defense that takes a big leap forward, just as the Vikings have in years
past.The offense is also hard to evaluate with Bortles struggling, but the
Jaguars clearly have weapons. Wide receiver Allen Robinson is a superstar. The
Jaguars were too aggressive in locking up Allen Hurns, who was still two full
years away from free agency, but they should be pleasantly surprised by the
development of Marqise Lee this season. Julius Thomas has been disappointing,
and the running back situation is still a mess even after using a second-round
pick on T.J. Yeldon and signing Chris Ivory to a big-money deal in free agency,
but the offensive line has been better this year than at any point during
Bortles tenure.The Jaguars also have a ton of cap flexibility even beyond the
fact that theyll hit free agency with $70 million or so available. Theyve spent
a ton on free agents over the past several seasons, but Caldwell has structured
the deals to allow for easy exits after two seasons. It wouldnt be a surprise to
see them consider cutting their 2014 defensive free-agent class of Jared Odrick,
Dan Skuta?and Davon House, moves that would create an additional $18 million in
cap space.The next coach wont be inheriting Bortles with the same implied
evaluation timetable that the Rams have with Goff. Bortles is under contract for
only one more year, and then the team can cut ties with him altogether. While
any new coach likely will want to spend 2017 with Bortles at the helm before
deciding on a new path, the lack of a long-term deal for the quarterback makes
this job more appealing.4. Cincinnati BengalsIf Marvin Lewis does leave
Cincinnati after 14 seasons on the job, hell be leaving his predecessor a much
better job than the one he inherited. The Bengals would be a relatively
promising landing spot for a new head coach, given the stability and time
afforded Lewis, the presence of a competent quarterback in Andy Dalton and a
healthy salary-cap situation.The Bengals have more than $48 million in cap space
for 2017 and will roll over several million dollars, giving them what would
appear to be plenty of options heading into the offseason. Appear is the
important word there. The reality, at least under Lewis, has been that they
generally dont spend money on free agents they havent scouted and developed
themselves.Their cap space, then, isnt quite as valuable as it might seem.
Cincinnati also has plenty of veteran free agents they need to work on retaining
this offseason. Their offensive line has been a collective disappointment after
thriving in 2015, but with presumed left tackle of the future Cedric Ogbuehi a
mess, the Bengals might very well want to bring back 35-year-old star Andrew
Whitworth. Guard Kevin Zeitler also is an unrestricted free agent, as is
cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. Cincy may very well let a few of these veterans
leave, but the Bengals arent performing well enough and have too much cap space
to justify letting them all leave.The good news is that the Bengals will pick up
several compensatory picks after losing the likes of Marvin Jones and Mohamed
Sanu in free agency, a routine that would continue if they let Zeitler and
Kirkpatrick leave. Theyve drafted well during Lewis tenure, although some of
that may also owe to Lewis ability to both bring in excellent coaches like Jay
Gruden and Mike Zimmer and develop young talent. Cincinnati has a lower ceiling
than other jobs on this list if the Bengals are hamstrung by the penurious
ownership of Mike Brown, but it also has one of the highest floors.3.
Indianapolis ColtsThe Indy job begins and ends with Andrew Luck. If Chuck Pagano
gets fired, a new coach might be able to hitch his wagon to a 27-year-old
superstar quarterback signed for the foreseeable future. You can make it to the
Hall of Fame if things break right. Even given everything else that might not be
quite as appealing -- such as the state of the roster and the erratic presence
of owner Jim Irsay -- Luck is going to be enough to draw a lot of interest.The
next coach has to figure out a way to protect Luck, which might be an exercise
(in part) in saving Luck from himself. Indy has tried various strategies for
keeping Luck safe under the stewardship of Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson, from
signing free-agent offensive linemen to playing in a run-first offense to
drafting offensive linemen in the upper rounds, but nothing has stuck so far.
Whoever arrives in town will need to build the sort of offensive line and
offensive scheme capable of giving Luck a chance to work his magic.Indy doesnt
have many free agents likely to be retained; the list basically begins and ends
with outside linebacker Erik Walden, who is having a career season with eight
sacks, and tight end Jack Doyle. The Colts also will have $60 million or so in
cap space before even getting to possible releases such as?DQwell Jackson, Frank
Gore?and Joe Reitz. Signing offensive linemen will be key, but Indianapolis is
still desperate for a No. 1 pass-rusher. The Colts also need help in the
secondary, where Vontae Davis has struggled amid injuries this season, and they
dont have an obvious starter at running back if Gore is cut. Theyll also need
offensive linemen. I really want to make sure that comes across.Theyll have
money to spend, mostly because the Colts just havent developed many young
players worth retaining on long-term contracts. Besides Luck, there are only
four players on the roster drafted by the Colts who were re-signed to multiyear
contracts after their rookie deals ran out: offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo,
wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, tight end Dwayne Allen and punter Pat McAfee. They
dont have many left in the pipeline, either: The only player left on the roster
from the 2013 draft is guard Hugh Thornton, who has missed the entire season
with a foot injury, while the 2014 draft will deliver only?Donte Moncrief and
Jack Mewhort, given that Indy traded away its first- and third-round picks that
season. This is one of the worst situations in the league without Luck, and the
Colts status on the list should be yet another reminder of how the NFL revolves
around quarterbacks.2. San Diego ChargersAdvanced metrics note how the Chargers
have improved between 2015 (when they were 24th in DVOA) and 2016 (currently
18th), but a tough schedule and awful performances late in close games have kept
their win-loss record in the same sphere. While this years 5-8 Chargers already
have improved on last years 4-12 record, this team is just 1-5 in games decided
by one score or less. Things have to break for them eventually, and a change at
head coach to somebody who manages late-game situations more aggressively than
Mike McCoy likely will help.As with Chicago, any analysis of the Chargers is
colored dramatically by injuries. San Diego has 18 players on injured reserve,
and thats without including breakout players Melvin Gordon and Joey Bosa, both
of whom are hurt. Eight of those players likely would have started or seen the
field frequently as part of a rotation. The silver lining is that the injuries
have revealed some talented players lurking on the fringes of the roster:
Players such as wide receiver Tyrell Williams and linebacker Jatavis Brown will
be good enough to contribute even after the starters return to the field in
training camp next year.The Chargers have most of the pieces you would look for
with a modern NFL team if they can keep those players healthy. Jason Verrett is
a top cornerback. Keenan Allen?is a No. 1 receiver. Gordon has emerged this year
as a stud halfback. Bosa has been a dominant pass-rusher when making it onto the
field. Philip Rivers is perennially Philip Rivers, and while hes 35 years old,
its hardly as if Rivers game relies upon mobility. The Chargers will need to
find a new quarterback over the next few years, but given his contract
structure, Rivers isnt going anywhere before 2018.Playing in the pass-rusher
minefield of the AFC West, the Chargers will need to upgrade at offensive tackle
and figure out whether to retain the injury-prone Melvin Ingram to tag-team with
Bosa. But other than that, not many other major changes loom, except for, of
course, a potential relocation. The organization remains in flux as the Chargers
attempt to move from San Diego to Los Angeles, and that will color the hiring
process and any new coachs ability to enact change.1. Green Bay PackersThe most
desirable job is the simplest one to explain. If the Packers job becomes
available -- which isnt out of the question, given that Green Bays playoff
chances still sit under 40 percent -- it should inspire a rush of ex-coaches and
college success stories to inquire about moving to Wisconsin. Aaron Rodgers is
older (33) than it seems by virtue of sitting for three years at the beginning
of his career, but most coaches would kill to start their roster with the
two-time NFL MVP. Rodgers alone is enough to justify this being the most
tantalizing landing spot.And while Ted Thompson has taken criticism this year
for not signing free agents, he is one of the most accomplished general managers
in the league. Green Bays cap is perennially in good shape, and the organization
has drafted and developed talent as well as anybody else in football during his
tenure. The Packers also have been relatively patient with coaches. Outside of
giving Ray Rhodes one year at the helm in between Mike Holmgren and Mike Sherman
in 1999, three out of Green Bays past four coaches have been given a minimum of
six years in charge. The weather may not be up to the caliber of Los Angeles,
but its going to take years for the Rams to live up to what the Packers have
been able to do on the field at Lambeau. Air Max 1 UK . Didier Drogba gave away the
penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran
striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after
Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year.
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Outlet . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S.
District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close"
to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. http://www.airmax1saleuk.com/ . "Four now,"
Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New
York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. A return to winning
form at Flemington may have earned Hijack Hussy a trip to the Gold Coast for the
Magic Millions meeting.Formerly prepared in Queensland by Tony Gollan, Hijack
Hussy was sent south by senior part-owner Joe ONeill earlier in the year and
landed her first win for Darren Weir on Saturday, taking out the Beachside
Handicap (1400m).Ridden by apprentice Beau Mertens, Hijack Hussy ($10) scored a
short-head victory over La Speciale ($6) with Lady Selkirk ($6.50)
three-quarters-of-a-length away third.Hijack Hussy is likely to now target the
Magic Millions Fillies & Mares (1300m) on January 14.It was D-day today,
Weir said.Shes a Magic Millions horse and Joes very keen to run his horses up
there and Id say well probably head towards that.If she didnnt do what she did
today Id say she would have been retired. Cheap Authentic Air
Max 1 UK. Hijack Hussy ran third in the Magic Millions Guineas in
2015 but missed the carnival earlier this year.Saturdays outing was her fourth
start this campaign and Weir was scratching his head searching for answers in a
bid to turn her form around.The mare was in a better frame of mind before the
race which Weir said may have accounted for it.The strapper mentioned today she
had an unbelievable change in attitude, Weir said.Shes usually very piggy,
wanting to kick and bite everyone and then drag you around the yard, but she did
none of that.Maybe thats a good sign. ' ' '